Endocrine Abstracts

Introduction: Pasireotide (PAS) is an effective treatment for Cushing’s disease (CD) but its use is burdened by the high incidence of diabetes mellitus (DM). We aimed to evaluate the effect of a single subcutaneous injection of PAS on glucose metabolism in CD patients, to identify factors predicting rapid deterioration of glycaemic control.Methods: 14 patients [(f/m=12/2, mean age 43±11.3 years, follow-up 17 months (2-63)] with CD treated with ...

Background: Classic congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) due to 21-hydroxylase deficiency is characterized by impaired cortisol synthesis, requiring life-long glucocorticoid (GC) replacement therapy. Given the detrimental systemic effects of GCs in the long term, the aim of our study was to assess whether CAH patients have increased metabolic and cardiovascular alterations compared with age-matched controls.Materials and methods: For this cross-sectional...

Introduction: Transsphenoidal surgery (TSS) is the first-choice treatment in Cushing’s disease (CD). When performed by experienced neurosurgeon, post-operative remission can be achieved in 70–80% of cases; however, recurrences during follow-up are quite frequent, involving around 20–30% of patients initially in remission. Early detection of relapses is crucial to avoid cortisol-related comorbidities. The aim of the study was to find reliable predictors of rec...

Background: Differential diagnosis of ACTH-dependent hypercortisolism is crucial to indicate a proper treatment and is based on CRH-, high-dose dexamethasone suppression-test (HDDST) and pituitary MRI. However, up to 50% of cases of Cushing’s disease (CD) present a negative MRI or a visible lesion < 6 mm. In these patients, guidelines suggest to perform bilateral inferior petrosal sinus sampling (BIPSS) in order to establish a correct diagnosis. Aim of this study was ...

Ectopic Cushing syndrome (EAS) is a rare condition characterized by ACTH-dependent hypercortisolism resistant to normal physiologic suppression by glucocorticoids. EAS is due to an extra-pituitary tumor producing bioactive molecules generated by post-translational cleavage of the proopiomelanocortin gene (POMC). EAS is associated with significant morbidity and mortality and although surgical resection of the primary ACTH-producing tumor remains the mainstay of therapy, not all...